Black Bean and Lentil Chili

Many years ago, a good friend of ours had a chili cook-off party. It was a blast! We all brought our own versions of chili and blindly taste-tested. Blindly, in that we didn’t know who’s was who’s…but there were margaritas involved! It was interesting to see the different interpretations of what we all refer to as “chili”. Some had no beans at all, just ground meat, while others had a mixture of the two and then some used chunks of beef instead of ground. The hostess had made hers with lentils. It was really delicious and it’s always stuck with me. I’ve been meaning to try making a chili made with lentils…so, ten years later…

I really made this with my daughter in mind (she doesn’t eat meat). This has so many flavors and ingredients that she loves. Especially the spicy factor! That girl uses hot sauce on everything! The chipotle and the Tabasco add some heat to the pot, but I like to serve this with some more Tabasco on top…along with avocado cubes, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and some cilantro. You can make a pot of rice to go along with this, some corn bread or even just some tortilla chips. I think you’ll love it! Even my anti-vegetarian husband gave this two thumbs up!

So, if I’m ever invited to another chili cook off…this is what I’m bringing!

In a large heavy pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, then the onion, celery and carrots. Sauté until the onions have softened, then add the garlic and continue to cook for just one minute. Add the spices next through the bay leaf. Cook for about two more minutes to get them fragrant.

Add the broth (start with 5 cups first, you may need an additional cup later to thin the sauce out), lentils and tomato sauce and raise the heat to high, bringing the broth to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 minutes to get the lentils tender.

Add the black beans, corn, red peppers, Tabasco and honey and continue to cook for about 20 more minutes. Add the extra cup of broth, if needed.

Serve in bowls with the toppings of your choice.

Serves 8 to 12

Notes:

I use the jarred roasted red peppers for a few reasons. The roasted pepper adds a nice sweet and smokey flavor that you don’t get from a fresh pepper and it’s so much easier to use the jarred instead of making it yourself. If you want to roast your own…that would be delicious. I add the pepper at the end because I think it would become too mushy if it were cooked all the way through.

If you are using canned broth, don’t use salt until the dish is completely done, then give it a taste. Even if using low salt broth, you may not even need any additional.

This makes a lot of chili, but it’s great reheated days later and freezes well too.

Linda, that’s a great question! I’ve never made this particular dish with dried beans. If I were to use them, I’d probably soak them overnight in cold water, rinse them well and add fresh water. Cook them over a low simmer until tender, adding salt to taste at the end when they are almost done (I also like to add one small bay leaf). Then, proceed with this recipe. The reason I would’t cook them in this dish from the dried state is because cooking dried beans is very unpredictable. Depending on the age and size of the beans, cooking time can vary anywhere from one to two hours. I hope this helps!

I am making this for a party, so I won’t have a lot of time to soak lentils and rinse them. Is it possible to use canned lentils? What is the advantage of using bagged and if I use canned, is the cooking time reduced from 30 mins?

Elissa, I’ve never used canned lentils, but I imagine they just need to be heated through. I’m not sure how they would work in this recipe, because the other veggies will still need time to cook. If you are pressed for time, this can be made in advance in a slow cooker. I provided directions for that for another reader in the comments below. Just to be clear, the lentils in this recipe do not need to be soaked, just rinsed. I hope this helps!

Great question, Michelle! You can absolutely make this in a slow cooker! After sautéing the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and spices, transfer those to the slow cooker. Add the broth, lentils and tomato sauce and cook on the low setting for four hours. At the last half hour, add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking for that last half hour. I hope this helps and hope you love it!

Loved this recipe! I made this last year and I couldn’t find the recipe again…. Since the seasons are starting to change, this black bean and lentil chili stew is all I think of. I am so relieved to find it again! Thank you so much for sharing such a delicious and healthy recipe! =)

I just made this chili and all I can say is OH MY GOODNESS! This was delish!! Even my hubby who is a meat and potatoes kind of guy LOVED it! Thanks so much for the recipe!! I will definitely be making this again and again!! YUMMY!!

I made this recipe last night and my husband and I kept saying that this is one of the best chilis we had ever eaten! I only used one can of black beans and I subbed in chipotle flavored Tabasco rather than regular and it was insanely delicious. The flavors are very complex and a great combo of sweet and spicy. This is my new go-to chili! Thanks!

Lauren, I can’t tell you how happy your message makes me! I’m so glad you love this as much as I do! I’ve been wanting to try the Chipotle Tabasco. I’ll need to get some and give it a shot. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!

I found this on pinterest and am trying it right now. reading the recipe, it sounds delish. I’ve never used roasted red peppers before… just wondering if you need to rinse them of the oil they are sitting in? it’s possible yours come prepared differently than mine.

Thanks so much, Rosanne. I usually buy the peppers in a brine, not the oil, but you can certainly use those too! I’d just remove them from the oil, chop them up and toss them in. No need to rinse. Hope you love it!

Hi Shikha! I use brown lentils in this recipe. They are the most common lentils you’ll find, dried, in bags, at the market. You just need to follow the recipe directions, by rinsing them in a fine mesh sieve, sorting through to make sure there aren’t any stones and adding them to the recipe. I hope that helps and that you love this chili!

It’s been raining here for days. Chili is my favorite for days like this. This recipe was simple and so delicious. I omitted the Tabasco, some family members have issues but I’ve been sharing it and the recipe. This will be added to our dreary day go to list. Nothing puts a smile on our face like a good bowl of chili. Well, except another bowl.

Well, sweet words like yours can really put a smile on my face, Tammy! I’m SO happy to hear you all liked this as much as we do! Great idea to make this on a rainy day! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and for taking the time to let me know! :)

Love this! I made a couple of changes: 1 minced chipotle pepper in place of the powder, fresh corn cut from the cob, diced tomatoes instead of sauce, no tobasco, no celery. It was very, very good and will definitely be a repeat in our house.

My 2nd comment for this recipe because it is SO good. We are trying to cut carbs and had this chili served over spaghetti squash. It was amazing, we are having it again this weekend! Thanks for sharing!!

I’m so glad you’re going to be making this, Nancy! Yes, I’ve frozen this a lot and have sent it off with my son to college many times. He loves it. He says it’s just as delicious! It does make a lot of chili, but I’m with you…cook once and eat twice is a wonderful thing!

As a vegetarian married to a meat-eater, I’m always looking for recipes that we can both partake in together and be happy. Chili is one of our go-to meals, especially in the winter. That said… as much as we love chili, sometimes it can get boring. I’m constantly looking for new and exciting ways to make our chili exciting. Lentils! Tabasco! Score! Found this and made it last Friday and it was a huge hit. And I’m having leftovers for lunch today and I can’t wait. Thank you for this great recipe!

There is nothing better than comments like yours, Lish! I love that this chili made you both happy! Nice lunch…I think the leftovers are even better, aren’t they? Thanks for being so sweet and taking the time to write!

I super love vegetarian chilis. The idea of using lentils is great!!! This dish is gorgeous! We like the spice over here too. And how much fun is a chili cook off?! I wish all my neighbors weren’t the biggest losers ever.

I haven’t eaten red meat in over a year and making many recipes with turkey and chicken can get boring. I’ve been looking for a meatless chili for some time and I am so happy to have stumbled upon your recipe! Extremely satisfying for a cold New England night. My boyfriend and I loved this so much and we will be making this regularly. Thank you for sharing :)

Congratulations, Natalie! Giving up things we are so used to eating is not an easy feat! I’m so glad you found this chili and that you both loved it! You are so right…it’s perfect for this cold weather!

Yay! So glad you liked this chili so much Donna! I always add the extra stock too…but you’re right, this makes a lot of chili…enough for leftovers! Thanks so very much for taking the time to let me know! Messages like yours make me SO happy!

We made this for supper tonight. It was so good! We loved that it was so full of stuff and nice and thick after the lentils had time to cook! I can’t wait for supper tomorrow night! It’s a good thing I have a bigger pan, than the 4-qt Durch oven, because that would have been full to the brim. I needed to get out my 8-qt stock pot, for the last step. (What I wouldn’t give for a 5-6 qt Le Creuset pan!) we will definitely be making this again in the future!

I made this today and it was gorgeous, thank you so much for such a clear and detailed recipe. If anyone’s interested, I had to substitute black beans for black eyed beans, and honey for sweet chilli sauce but it still tasted beautiful. Thank you!

This was a BIG hit in our household! My daughter is a vegetarian and she loved it! It’s sometimes difficult to find vegetarian recipes that the whole family likes. This got a huge LIKE! Thanks for a great recipe.

I am so happy to hear that Kathy! I know exactly what you mean…it really can be challenging! This is a family-pleaser in my house too. It was so considerate of you to take the time to come on back and let me know…your message made my night!